


Drifted Memories

by orphan_account



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Pacific Rim - Freeform, pricefield
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-14
Updated: 2015-05-14
Packaged: 2018-03-30 12:11:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3936271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>PacificRim!AU. Chloe Price returns to the jaeger program after the loss of her copilot-and encounters a new drift-compatible partner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

Reaching forward for the glass tumbler on the bar countertop, Chloe Price swirled its contents around for a moment, staring vacantly at the alcohol within.

She brought the cool glass to her lips, felt the sharp sting as the whiskey ran down her throat. She winced for a moment, feeling the heated burn it left down her throat and through her chest.

Placing the glass carefully back down on the countertop, Chloe stared at the swirls in the dark wood, reaching up and tracing a few patterns. Regardless of how much she drank, of how hungover she'd be later, she still knew the memories from before would never be burned away.

_Rachel._

Even thinking the name made her grip on the glass tighten, and Chloe had to remind herself to loosen her fingers around it—she couldn't afford to break anymore glasses at this bar.

She was just about to signal the bartender for another round before someone sat down next to her at the relatively empty bar.

_Now, what jackass decides to sit—_

Chloe turned on her stool and was about to shoot a retort before she realized the person next to her was Kate Marsh.

"The fuck are you doing here, Marsh?" Chloe asked abruptly, turning back around in her seat and glaring at her glass.

Kate didn't even flinch.

"I'm here to see what you've been up to," she said calmly, smoothing out the wrinkles in her navy skirt. Her neat and tidy outfit clashed with the atmosphere of the bar—though there were very few people here, Kate's clean and well-kept appearance was a stark contrast to Chloe's black trench coat, rough flannel, and ripped jeans.

"Well, it's pretty obvious," Chloe said sarcastically, nodding at the bartender at the end of the bar. She came by and silently took Chloe's glass, already familiar with Chloe's requests.

"I'm aware," Kate said dryly. She shook her head at the bartender's questioning look, and the bartender shrugged before making her way back down to the end of the bar.

"Chloe, I came here for another reason," Kate started, but Chloe snarled, a sound so vicious and aggressive that Kate instinctively leaned away.

"What reason? If you're asking me to come back, you can  _fuck. Off_ ," Chloe hissed. "I'm not going back to that shithole," Chloe shot Kate another venomous glare to stop her from interrupting, and she continued, "Yeah, I've seen the news. It's pretty shit out there, I know—"

"Then you know that we need you," Kate cut her off, looking Chloe straight in the eyes. Chloe just scowled back, but she could see the resolve and determination in Kate's eyes—she wasn't leaving until Chloe was. "You're one of five remaining veteran jaeger pilots, Chloe. We need experienced people."

"Then go train new ones," Chloe muttered, reaching up and giving a nod of thanks to the bartender, who gave back Chloe's glass—now filled with whiskey.

"We can't. Our funding's been cut. The  _Blackwell Brawler_  is the last jaeger to be made," Kate said, completely coolheaded despite Chloe's cold shoulder. "We can't make anymore jaegers, and we can't afford to send rookies out there by themselves anymore. We need a veteran to go with them," she continued firmly, reaching forward and taking Chloe's glass before she could drink from it.

Chloe growled, a low, feral sound that would've frightened any person—but Kate sat there unflinchingly, putting the glass of whiskey back down on the countertop.

"If you've seen the news, Chloe, then you know how bad it is," Kate said quietly, looking away, gazing at the empty chairs and empty tables of the almost empty bar. In a far corner, a group of friends were chatting softly in a booth, but aside from that, the place was deserted.

Chloe bit her lip, crossing her arms and leaning against the counter.

"Please, Chloe," Kate said softly.

" _I can't_ ," Chloe whispered, feeling her heart constrict and her chest tighten as the memories came back. Gritting her teeth, Chloe held her head in her hands.

"Not after what happened, Kate. You don't know how it feels.  _She_  was torn away from me—and I felt every second of it, every moment of pain, of agony—and then she was just  _gone_ —" Chloe choked at the end, giving a pained noise as she struggled to keep herself together.

Kate put a comforting hand on Chloe's shoulder. Turning to meet Kate's eyes, Chloe saw someone who looked just as tired, worn, and defeated as her.

Kate's family had been the ones to start the Jaeger Program, helping create and build the jaegers since the beginning. The pressure Kate felt then—to maintain the livelihood of the entire population of humanity that bordered the Pacific Ocean—Chloe knew what that responsibility felt like.

"I know," Kate said, and Chloe heard a soft hint of bitterness on the edge of her voice. "I know it hurt you, Chloe. But we need you back."

"And honestly, Chloe? Look at where you are," Kate said, turning and gesturing to the bar. "You're going to spend the rest of your days just drinking yourself into oblivion? You were a hero once—and Rachel knew that," Kate said firmly, and Chloe cringed—it was the truth.

_And the truth fucking hurts._

"And I think you still are, Chloe," Kate continued, pushing forward. "Cooped up in a bar just isn't you. I know that, and I'm pretty sure Rachel knew that too," Kate said, getting off the stool and patting down her skirt before buttoning up her cardigan.

"You know where to contact us," Kate said, walking away.

Chloe said nothing, noting how Kate hadn't even waited for a response.

_It's because she knows me._

Sighing, Chloe picked up the glass of whiskey that Kate had left behind. She gazed at it for a few more moments, and she raised the cup to her mouth—but then thought otherwise, putting it back down on the countertop.

As much as she hated to admit it, despite how shitty it had made her life, Chloe missed the thrill of the controlling a jaeger—the gigantic amount of power and strength she and Rachel had possessed, knocking out and taking down kaijus left and right.

Chloe had never been able to find a replacement for it—alcohol, drugs, sex. Nothing compared to what it felt like to be that intimately close with someone, to work in tandem, to cooperate so well that two became one. Nothing came close to piloting a jaeger, where minds melded and memories drifted.

_I have to go back._


	2. Chapter 2

"This is  _pathetic_ ," Chloe snarled, spinning on her heel and stalking over to where Kate and her father stood at the edge of the training room. Behind her, she heard her last opponent groaning, curled into a fetal position, his red staff next to him on the floor.

"What kind of training did you put these guys through? I haven't done this shit in  _months_  and I'm sweeping the floor with all of them," Chloe hissed, and like always, Kate kept her composure.

"There's still a few more candidates left, Chloe," Kate said calmly, and next to her, Marshal Marsh just nodded solemnly.

"In time, Chloe. Patience," he said, gesturing towards the training floor again.

Shaking her head and giving a low growl, Chloe returned to the floor, twirling her staff in her hand.

"Who's next?" she called, looking at the entrance of the room for her next opponent. "Who's next to get fucking owned," she muttered, driving the butt of her staff into the mats that covered the floor.

From behind her, Chloe heard Kate announce, "Max Caulfield, you may take the floor."

Looking up, Chloe saw her next opponent and scoffed. The girl in front of her was small, her short brown hair hanging around her youthful face; the tight tank top and combat pants on her slender form just pronounced her how juvenile she looked.

"Really? You?" Chloe snorted. "You look like you could barely lift ten pounds."

Max just adjusted her grip on her staff, moving into a ready position, her eyes on Chloe's face.

"And you look like you can't even lift me," she said, a small smile tugging on the edges of her lips.

Chloe burst out laughing, shifting into a ready position as well.

"Alright, Caulfield, bring it."

Chloe fucked up the first round. Her overconfidence made her underestimate Max—despite Max's skinny and lanky form, she was just as strong and forceful as Chloe.

Landing flat on her back, the breath pushed out of her lungs, Chloe managed to look up and see the end of Max's staff just inches from her face.

Breathing hard—the first match had lasted minutes, in comparison to the few seconds it took for her last few competitors—Chloe gazed up at Max's red face.

"Alright, alright, you win this one," Chloe muttered, shoving Max's staff away and standing back up.

 _Shit. She's good._   _I need to amp my game._

From behind her, Chloe heard Kate call dryly, "One-zero, in favor of Max."

_That's going to be one-three, in favor of Chloe, soon._

Chloe fucked up the second round.

_What the fuck?_

Again, Max had knocked Chloe back to the floor, this time with a sweeping move to the back of her knees, and Chloe hit the ground, hard.

Panting from exertion, Max took a step towards Chloe, her hand out.

"You okay?" Max asked, concern in her voice.

"Fuck off," Chloe growled, getting up and picking up her staff again. "You're not gonna beat me that easily, Caulfield."

"Two-zero, in favor of Max."

Chloe didn't know if she was just imagining it, but she could've sworn there was a hint of amusement in Kate's voice.

The third round was more intense than the last two. Chloe was going all out this time—furious, sharp jabs and swings at Max came with no reprieve, and Max was on the defensive as they moved around the room, staffs clashing into each other as they each tried to find a weakness in their opponent's defenses.

_I'm not losing this time._

Though she could feel the beads of sweat on her brow, the burning in her muscles as she strained them to move faster, Chloe was determined to beat this wannabe  _kid_  in front of her.

Regardless of how Chloe angled her staff or even how she feinted, Max always seemed to know when and where Chloe was going to strike next; Max's eyes were alert for every miniscule movement that could be predicted from Chloe's expression, and she dodged or parried each strike or potential hit.

_What the crazy shit did this girl learn—_

Chloe viciously swung her staff at Max's side, hoping to land a hit so hard and so fast that Max wouldn't have time to recover; just as Chloe predicted, Max twisted her staff vertically, blocking Chloe's staff, and Chloe saw her opportunity for an opening—

Chloe swiftly placed one foot next to Max's ankle and jerked, causing Max to lose balance, and as she tottered on one foot, Chloe quickly rotated her staff in her hand and was just about to land a solid blow on Max's arm before she suddenly felt Max's hand pulling on her tank top—

_What the fu—_

The two hit the ground hard, their staffs landing on the mats; Chloe fell right on top of Max and for just moment, Chloe could feel Max's heart pounding, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath. Pushing herself up, Chloe straddled Max's waist, and the two gazed at each other for a few seconds, both of them breathing hard, their faces hot and red from exertion.

Max gently released her grip on Chloe's tank top, her hand flopping down to her side.

Wiping away the sweat from her brow, Chloe just gave a short, breathless laugh.

"You're not that bad," she said, shaking her head.

Suddenly, she felt the end of a staff poke her in the shoulder, and Chloe glanced around to see that Max had grabbed one of the fallen staffs in her hand. Realization suddenly came to Chloe, and she looked down, glaring daggers at Max's amused expression.

"You piece of sh—"

"Three-zero, in favor of Max," Kate called, and this time, there was no hiding the joy in her voice.

"Whatever," Chloe muttered, getting off of Max, but extending a hand down to her opponent anyway. Chloe was surprised when Max accepted it, and she pulled up, bringing Max back to her feet. Chloe couldn't help but notice just how soft and warm Max's hand was…

Kate and her father walked over, where Kate was enthusiastically clapping, happiness written all over her face.

"I  _knew_  you could do it, Max!" she said excitedly, running over to Max and giving her a tight hug.

"Thanks, Kate," Max said, blushing, but giving Kate a hug back as well.

Kate let go of Max and turned to Chloe then, and her excited expression just made Chloe raise an eyebrow.

"What?"

Kate was practically glowing as she looked from Max to Chloe, and then back again.

"You're drift-compatible."


	3. Chapter 3

Chloe held the helmet for her jaeger in her hands, memories from long ago coming to the surface of her mind. The feel of the armored suit around her used to be a time of excitement and eagerness, but now, all she felt was the heavy weight of responsibility and fate on her body.

Taking a deep breath, Chloe took a step forward and latched herself into the clamps on the ground, and next to her Max did the same.

The two of them put on their helmets, and then the jaeger's familiar computerized voice entered the cockpit.

" _Arcadia Flash, preparing systems."_

That name. Chloe closed her eyes for a moment, recalling her glory days. Her and Rachel had been a dynamic duo, their jaeger known for its lightning fast strikes and punches. On top of that, it was the one jaeger that could blast a hyperbeam of concentrated energy from its chest—another way that its name fit its mechanics.

"You ever drifted with anyone, before?" Chloe asked through the com-link, glancing at Max, who was busy attaching the necessary wires of the cockpit to her armor.

"I haven't," she admitted, looking up and meeting Chloe's eyes, hesitation across her face.

Chloe's expression softened, and she remembered her first time as well.

But her first time had been during a practice exercise.

And this was real.

About an hour ago, Marshal Marsh had called in all of his Rangers and reported two kaijus heading for Hong Kong, where they were stationed at the only Shatterdome left, after the others had been shut down.

"Two Category II kaijus have been spotted; I'm deploying the  _Arcadia Flash_  as the main offense team, and I want the other jaegers to form a defensive perimeter," he said grimly, nodding at the Rangers grouped in front of him.

Chloe and Max had glanced at each other then, but before they could say anything to each other, Victoria Chase spoke up.

" _What?_  You're not going to send the  _Blackwell Brawler_  out to take care of this?" she huffed, crossing her arms. On either side of her, her copilots, Courtney and Taylor, nodded in agreement, mirroring Victoria's pose. The  _Blackwell Brawler_  was jaeger piloted by three individuals, since the jaeger itself was a massive contraption meant to emphasize strength and brawn; it was the biggest jaeger ever built, and its six arms allowed it an incredible amount of versatility when fighting multiple kaijus.

"We could literally take them out in ten seconds," Taylor added.

Marshal Marsh just narrowed his eyes in response. "I know your family's given a lot to the Jaeger program, Miss Chase, but I am the marshal here," he said coolly, and Victoria looked away from his cold stare.

"Fine," she muttered.

As Chloe watched Victoria get shut down with satisfaction, she came to when she felt Max's hand in hers.

"Wh—"

Chloe stopped speaking when she saw the look on Max's face. Fear, mixed with a slight hint of determination.

And now they were in the  _Arcadia Flash_ , preparing to deploy, the whirs and hisses of the cogs and wheels and machinery around them as their jaeger started up. Chloe didn't blame Max for her nervousness—her first time out was bound to be a memorable one…if it went well.

"It's gonna be fine, Max," Chloe said, looking in front of them and seeing the holographic display screens coming to life in midair. She automatically gazed over the information, noting that everything was functioning before she turned to look at Max again.

"When we drift, just let it go, don't hold anything. Don't fight back," she said firmly, trying to sound controlled—adding to Max's nervousness wouldn't do them any good. "Max, got it?"

Max nodded. "Just let it go. Don't fight back. Got it."

In their ears, they heard Kate's voice.

"Initiating drift in…five…four…three…"

Chloe nodded at Max, and Max nodded back, resolve and determination in her eyes.

"Two…one."

Chloe gritted her teeth as she suddenly felt the pull on her mind—and then the flashbang of memories shooting past her eyes, some she recognized and some she didn't. Controlling her breathing, Chloe had to resist losing herself in the memories of the last time she'd been in a jaeger; in her mind, she could feel Max's presence, could feel Max's horror as she too, experienced  _Rachel_ —

Smashing back to the present and breathing hard, Chloe didn't bother using the com-link this time.

_Max? Max! Are you there?_

Through the tangle of chaotic thoughts going through Max's mind, Chloe could tell that Max was trying to understand the multitude of memories that were suddenly hers, but not hers—

_Max, focus on me. Max!_

Faintly through their mental connection, Max managed to break through.

_I'm…I'm here. You're here. That's why you quit the program._

In the physical world, Chloe looked down at her arms, saw the blinking lights along her armor, her gloved hands shaking slightly.

Ahead of them, the hangar door opened, letting in a torrent of rain and wind, and below them, Chloe could see the hangar workers scrambling for their deployment.

_Max, focus. Let's just take these kaijus out._

Next to her in the cockpit, Max swallowed and nodded. In her mind, Chloe could feel Max's determination building.

_Let's do this._

* * *

For whatever reason, despite their victory, Chloe felt at a loss.

The two shredded kaiju bodies lied in the ocean, their luminous blue blood seeping into the ocean sea. Overhead, helicopters buzzed by, their hovering skylights bringing light to the dark scene.

She could faintly hear Max's voice in her mind, trying to call her back.

But Chloe didn't want to go back.

In front of her, the holographic screen was repeatedly flashing in bold, red, letters,  _LEFT ARM DAMAGE._

That was her arm. Glancing down at her inanimate left arm that hung limply at her side, Chloe dimly registered the electric spasms and shocks that ran along it. Not like she could feel it…

Max was trying to call for her again, trying to bring her back to the present, but all Chloe could see and remember was Rachel.

Drifting with Max had certainly reminded her of the memory, but fighting the kaijus again, feeling the rush of adrenalin, the ferocity of her anger and vengeance came back to her, and Chloe didn't fight her rage anymore.

She wasn't sure when she'd began losing her self-control. But she knew from their connection that Max was feeling the influence of it, feeling her fury and acting on it as well.

But now they were standing aside two kaiju carcasses in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

And Chloe didn't feel right.

And she knew Max knew it now too.

Looking towards Max, she saw her new drift partner shouting at her, through the com-link, through their helmets, through their minds. But barely any of it got to Chloe as she stood there, panting, feeling the energy draining from her body.

_Poor Max. She doesn't deserve this._

_She doesn't deserve me either._

* * *

Helicopters had had to tow the  _Arcadia Flash_  back to the Shatterdome and into its hangar spot again. The jaeger had remained inanimate in the waters for so long after the kaijus defeat that the Marshal ordered it to be towed back.

Medics had immediately rushed into the cockpit, quickly disconnecting Chloe from the numerous wires and clamps that attached her to the giant machine, with one swiftly performing an analysis on her left arm. She barely noticed when her and Max's drift connection was severed—Chloe was so far out of it, so far into her own thoughts and wants and  _memories_ —

She didn't see Max viciously fighting off medics attempting to get close to her, didn't hear Max calling her name, over and over and over. As Chloe was carried away by two medics, she didn't even look back.

_Max doesn't need me._


	4. Chapter 4

After she'd been discharged from the infirmary, where the medics concluded that the electric shocks to her arm would simply numb it for a while, but she'd gain full use of it in a day or two, Chloe had gone and wandered the halls of the Shatterdome.

She didn't want to go back to her room. Because her room was in the same hallway as Max's room. And she knew Max would want to talk to her.

Drifting with Max had told her that much.

What twisted Chloe's heart the most was that Max had been Chloe—back before she'd lost Rachel.

Max, in her mind, believed wholeheartedly that she wanted to be a hero. That being a jaeger pilot could help her save the world.

Heading into the small bar in the lower levels of the Shatterdome, Chloe took a seat on a stool and murmured her request at the bartender, who'd nodded and gone off to prepare her drink.

_Max cares._

And that's what Chloe hated the most.

Because Chloe  _didn't_  want to care anymore. She'd cared for so many things. For so many people. And she'd lost them all. To the kaijus. To the jaegers.

_This fucking place._

Chloe nodded her thanks to the bartender as the dark brown-haired girl set a glass of whiskey down in front of her.

Without hesitation, Chloe downed it—and the sweet burn it left through her made her crave more.

She wasn't sure how many glasses it was later until she felt a soft tap on her shoulder.

Squinting and trying to focus her vision, Chloe slowly turned around, the glass held firmly in her hand.

_Max._

"Whaddaya want," Chloe mumbled, her eyes narrowing as she tried to focus on Max—there were doubles of everything, afterimages in her mind appearing as she moved her eyes this way and that.

"You're drunk," Chloe heard Max say through a haze of fog.

"Nooo  _shit_ ," she said, taking another drink of the sweet alcohol, the drink that could make her forget for just a few moments.

"You need to stop, Chloe," Max said, and Chloe faintly registered a hint of coldness to her voice.

"Fuckoff," Chloe responded, slamming her glass on the table and groggily standing up, almost falling over—she instinctively reached out and held onto Max's jacket, trying to regain her balance as the world titled around her.

Max sighed, and wrapped one of Chloe's arms around her shoulders before putting her arm around Chloe's waist.

Chloe made to protest, but made a mumbling noise instead before she gave in, leaning her full weight against Max.

* * *

"Jesus, Chloe," Max muttered, as she guided them both out of the bar. She gave a nod to the bartender—Stella Hill, who'd thankfully called her when Chloe started drinking herself into oblivion. "Look at what you do to yourself."

Shifting her grip on Chloe's arm, Max glanced at Chloe's face; it looked worn, haggard, and Max's heart twisted in her chest.

_Chloe doesn't deserve this kind of life._

Once they reached Max's room, Max shoved the heavy metal door open with her shoulder, almost dragging Chloe into the room since the girl's feet were uncooperative. Bringing Chloe to the bed, Max gently laid Chloe down on it, where she mumbled something before seemingly passing out.

Rolling her eyes, Max just took a few steps back and sat down in her chair, next to her desk. She gazed at Chloe's sleeping form for a moment, her blue hair laying haphazardly around her pale face.

Sadness ran through Max's heart, and she looked away, remembering everything from their time in the drift together. She'd seen all of Chloe's memories; the good, the bad, all of it, and she'd taken all of it in. Though she couldn't call them with perfect clarity, Max still remembered how  _vivid_  some of them had been…

_Rachel Amber. That was Chloe's last partner._

She remembered a few years back, seeing the headlines of the youngest jaeger pilot pair in history—Chloe Price and Rachel Amber, just sixteen, successfully exterminating two kaijus at once off the western coast of Oregon. Max had never felt more inspired at those acts of heroism, the images of Chloe and Rachel smiling proudly for the cameras as the world began to learn of them.

_And then…it all ended._

She winced at even thinking of the memory. Chloe's agony the second Rachel had been ripped out—it was like nothing she'd ever experienced. It was an amount of suffering and pain that had Max gritting her teeth, trying to resist the tears that came to her eyes. The moment of separation had been like someone tearing her heart in half. Shaking her head, Max tried to clear her mind. Though that memory had been significant, Chloe's memories after she'd left the Jaeger program had been a complete opposite to her heroic life.

After Rachel had died, Chloe had been left alone. And that loneliness had begun to eat her up from the inside out, tearing her apart…

Leaning back in her chair, Max looked at the wall in front of her, covered in photos of jaegers and their pilots, proud heroes who went out into the dangerous seas to tackle the greatest monsters humanity had ever faced. A stark contrast to the unconscious drunk on her bed.

Taking a deep breath, Max got up and poured a cup of water before placing it on the small nightstand next to the bed. She left the room and returned with a bottle of painkillers as well, placing two pills on the nightstand as well before she pulled her desk chair next to the bed.

Those courageous, smiling faces of the jaeger rangers.

That had just been the surface.

Drifting and fighting with Chloe had given her a whole new perspective on the Jaeger Program. A perspective that made her suddenly understand why Chloe had been reluctant to come back. Why Chloe had almost ki—

* * *

Groaning, Chloe slowly regained consciousness, slowly sitting up and holding her head. She blearily looked at her unfamiliar surroundings, and glanced to her left to see Max sitting in a chair, a cup of water and some pills lying on a nightstand next to the bed she was on.

"Here," Max said softly, holding out the cup of water.

Chloe squinted at it, looking up to gauge Max's expression—which was perfectly neutral—before taking it and drinking it.

"Painkillers," Max said, holding out the pills.

Chloe took those too, putting the glass of water back on the nightstand.

They sat in silence for a moment.

"I should've told you," Chloe said suddenly, leaning back against the wall of the bed, facing Max.

Max said nothing, looking away.

"You didn't come back to be a hero again," Max whispered, a hint of anger…and betrayal in her voice.

"You came back to die."

Pain twisted Chloe's expression, and she shut her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried to pull herself together.

"I did."

" _Why?"_  Max asked, turning and look at Chloe with such pain in her face that Chloe bit her lip, doing her best to not fall apart.

"Because I'm  _fucking tired of living!"_  Chloe retorted, everything she'd ever felt since Rachel died coming to the surface of her mind, her heart. "I'm fucking done. I'm fucking tired of the kaijus, of the jaegers. I just  _can't_  live like this anymore!" Chloe gritted her teeth, hands curling into fists, and she slammed a fist against the wall, feeling pain shoot through her hand up her right arm.

"You went out there, with me, intending to  _die_ ," Max hissed, getting up off the chair and pushing Chloe—roughly—down onto the bed.

Chloe snarled, but as she tried to react, her vision blurred, her head aching—Max took that opportunity to straddle Chloe's waist, pressing her hands down on Chloe's shoulders, forcing her back down into the bed.

" _Fuck_  you," Chloe snarled, glaring up into Max's scowling face.

"No,  _fuck_  you. You went out there to die—I could've died too, Chloe," Max shot back, her voice hard. "Don't you know what you mean to the world?!"

"The world can go fuck itself," Chloe snorted. "It took Rachel from me."

"I know it did," Max said firmly, but her scowl never left her face. "I felt it too. And I'm sorry that happened. I'm sorry the world's fucked up, Chloe. And I'm sorry no one was there for you after it happened," she said, her voice almost breaking at the end.

Chloe froze then, noticing the change in Max's voice; Chloe could see Max trying to fight back tears, her expression contorted with pain.

"But I'm here now. And I know I can't ever replace Rachel," Max continued, her voice wavering. "But I want you to know I'm here for you. And  _I'm not leaving."_

Despite the blurry haze in Chloe's vision, the slight ringing in her ears, Chloe saw Max clearly, heard her voice cut through the haze of mental fog.

_I'm not leaving._

Feeling the sobs building in her chest, Chloe felt Max's hands lift up from her shoulders, and Chloe reached forward and buried her face into Max's chest, crying, tears falling from her eyes as she let go of all the agony, the rage, the fury, the despair she'd felt for the past few months.

Max gently wrapped her arms around Chloe, murmuring soft nothings into her ear, gently rubbing her hand up and down Chloe's shaking and trembling back.


	5. Chapter 5

"Are you ready?" Max asked, looking at her copilot as she put her helmet on her head. In front of them, the holographic screens came to life, animations playing across the screen as the computer did automatic functionality checks across their jaeger.

Chloe looked at her, a smile on her face. Her armor lit up, the small lights within her helmet casting a warm, golden glow across her features.

"Let's do this."

This time, when Kate called the countdown for the drift initiation, Max and Chloe were ready. As they were pulled into the drift, there was no resistance on either side, and their thoughts and emotions flowed across their mental link, combining them into one consciousness—and their jaeger responded to their singular movements.

As the  _Arcadia Flash_  took its steps out of the hangar and into the ocean, Max and Chloe moved in perfect sync, arms and legs of the jaeger moving fluidly through the waters as it headed towards where the rest of the jaegers were waiting.

 _Let's show those Blackwell Bastards what we're really made of,_ Chloe thought smugly, an eager grin on her expression as their jaeger made wide strides against the ocean currents.

Chloe felt Max's amusement, and a light feeling came to her chest; Max knew everything about her, and she knew everything about Max, about Max's hopes, dreams, wants. To be a hero. To save the world.

To save her.

_Remember, you're still a rookie. I'm gonna need to be the one to save you._

_Really? Because I remember kicking your ass._

_Asshole._

Through their com-link, Chloe heard Max laugh, a joyful sound despite their upcoming battle with three Category III kaijus.

Whatever battles came, Chloe knew Max would be there—here, and in the drift.


End file.
